The tale of two menacing fast bowlers - Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini

What is a morning without waking up to dream about something we're jazzed about? Life, as we believe, is too valuable to be squandered by pursuing scant dreams. There are several portrayals of narratives that depict an individual's ascent to the top, but the hard work, sacrifices and, most importantly, the will to transcend the difficulties that one faces go unnoticed.

Born in the historic city of Nagpur, situated in the geographic centre of India, Umesh Yadav's journey is stimulating for any youngster coming through the ranks. 

His first brush with red cherry started when he joined Vidharbha Gymkhana, one of the few clubs affiliated to the Vidarbha Cricket Association. In 2008, the pacer made his first-class debut against Madhya Pradesh. He instantly provided evidence of his skill sets, claiming a four-wicket-haul in the first innings. Yadav, with his hostile fast bowling display, ended up as the highest wicket-taker for Vidarbha in his debut season - gagging 20 wickets in 6 innings at an impressive average of 14.60. Add to this, his ability to move the ball at over 140 clicks made him stand apart from the other bowling comrades. Taking good account of his talent, the selectors named him in India's squad for the Zimbabwe Tour. 

Fast forward to 2020, the bustling pacer has been an integral part of Indian set-up, scalping 259 international wickets across all formats. The longevity with which Umesh Yadav has been operating for 12 years speaks volumes about his athletic ability.

Rise of Navdeep Saini

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Raised in a small town in Haryana, where opportunities to achieve success in a competitive game like cricket remained constrained, Navdeep Saini never stalled dreaming big.

The pacer used to earn 200 per day by taking part in Karnal's top tennis ball tournaments. As fate would have it, Saini's express pace caught the eyes of former Delhi medium-pacer Sumit Narwal, who was also the operational head of the Karnal Premier League and a close friend of Gautam Gambhir. Narwal, acknowledging his capability, took him to Delhi for better cricket infrastructure. A few months thereafter, Delhi was short of a few net bowlers. The youngster clad in whites and dishevelled boots, was bowling against the likes of Gautam Gambhir.

Having played an umpteen number of matches with the tennis ball, Saini didn't really have any complications with the red cherry, continuously rushing Gautam Gambhir with his raw pace and spine-tingling bouncers. Impressed by his abilities, Gambhir gifted him a pair of cricket shoes and realised that he has all the provisions to play at the highest level. However, the DDCA selectors were not convinced of Saini's competence. The veteran southpaw, not in compliance with the decision of the selectors, fought all the way. In 2013, Saini finally broke into the Delhi Ranji senior side. Thanks to consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy and India A fixtures, Saini found his way into the Indian line-up. It is not only the performances that have garnered the attention, but also his ripped physique. Having displayed periodical glints of brilliance with the ball In his debut IPL season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Navdeep Saini will be vying for glory at the Dream11 IPL.